Accessing and Displaying Network Content

1. A computer-implemented method of obtaining content over a network and displaying the content to a user, the method being implemented in a client computing device in operative communication with a server over a network, the client computing device including electronic storage, a display, and one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising: transmitting a request to the server over the network, the request requesting networked information monitor template; receiving the requested networked information monitor template from the server over the internet, the requested networked information monitor template having been transmitted from the server over the network responsive to the transmitted request, the networked information monitor template comprising: a definition of a viewer graphical user interface within which content in a web browser-readable language may be presented on the display of the client computing device; and a definition of a first content element for the networked information monitor template, the definition of the first content element referencing a first network location from which the first content element for the networked information monitor template is served over the network; responsive to instructions included in the requested networked information monitor template, presenting the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor on the display of the client computing device separate from and outside of any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying the first network location from which the first content element for the networked information monitor is served over the network; responsive to instructions included in the requested networked information monitor template, transmitting over the network a first content request to the first network location referenced by the definition of the first content element for the networked information monitor template; receiving, over the network, the first content element transmitted responsive to the first content request; presenting the received the first content element in the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template, wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface and/or the first content element define all controls for enabling a user to interact with the first content element through the viewer graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface includes a definition of at least one control effective for controlling an aspect of the viewer graphical user interface, and wherein presenting the viewer graphical user interface comprises presenting the at least one control.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aspect is the location at which the user interface is rendered on a display device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aspect is the size of the user interface when presented on the display of the client computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the networked information monitor template includes instructions in extensible markup language (XML) format, and further wherein the method further comprises parsing the definition of the viewer graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template comprises an image, and wherein presenting the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template on the display of the client computing device comprises presenting the image included in the definition as part of the viewer graphical user interface.

7. The method claim 6 , wherein presenting the received the first content element in the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template comprises presenting the received the first content element in association with the image.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein presenting the received the first content element in the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template comprises presenting the received the first content element at least in part within the image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface defines at least one control permitting the modification of the appearance of the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template, and wherein presenting the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template on the display of the client computing device comprises presenting the at least one control.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first content element includes audio content, video content, graphics content, still image content, textual content and/or interactive content.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: executing a client parser application that is separate from the networked information monitor template, the client parser application being configured to present the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template on the client computing device, to generate the request for the content that is transmitted to the first network location referenced by the definition of the first content element for the networked information monitor template, and to present the first content element received from the first network location within the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the networked information monitor to communicate with another networked information monitor.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the networked information monitor is configured to cause the client computing device to periodically request the first content element from the first network location referenced by the definition the first content element for the networked information monitor template and to present the received first content element within the viewer graphical user interface in an ongoing manner.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network is the internet.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the networked information template further comprising a definition of a second content element for the networked information monitor template, the definition of the second content element referencing a second network location from which the second content element for the networked information monitor template is served over the network, and wherein the method further comprises: responsive to instructions included in the requested networked information monitor template, transmitting over the network a second content request to the second network location referenced by the definition of the second content element for the networked information monitor template; receiving, over the network, the second content element transmitted responsive to the second content request; and presenting the received second content element in the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template, wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface and/or the second content element define all controls for enabling a user to interact with the second content element through the viewer graphical user interface.

16. A computer-implemented method of obtaining and displaying content obtained over a network to a user on a client computing device, the method being implemented in the client computing device, the client computing device including electronic storage, a display, and one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising: executing on the client computing device client parser, wherein the execution of the client parser results in the client computing device: transmitting over the network a first content request to a first network location referenced by a definition of a first content element in a networked information monitor template that is readable by the client parser; receiving, over the network, the first content element transmitted responsive to the first content request; presenting a viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template on the display of the client computing device and wherein the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template is presented separate from and outside of any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying the first network location from which the first content element for the networked information monitor is served over the network; and presenting the received content element within the viewer graphical user interface defined by the networked information monitor template, wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface and/or the first content element define all controls for enabling a user to interact with the first content element through the viewer graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein execution of the client parser further results in the client computing device determining that the first element content modifies the networked information monitor template and responsive to such determination, modifying the networked information monitor template prior to the step of presenting the graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising presenting an icon representing networked information monitor associated with the networked information monitor template on the display of the client computing device, and wherein execution of the client parser to perform one or more of the transmitting operation, the presenting the viewer graphical user interface operation, or presenting the first content element operation is responsive to reception of selection by a user of the icon.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising invoking the client parser an initiating one or more of the transmitting operation, the presenting the viewer graphical user interface operation, or presenting the first content element operation automatically during a start-up process of the client computing device.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein execution on the client computing device of the client parser further results in the client computing device: transmitting over the network a second content request to a second network location referenced by a definition of a second content element in a second networked information monitor template that is readable by the client parser; receiving the second content element transmitted responsive to the second content request; presenting a second viewer graphical user interface defined by the second networked information monitor template on the display of the client computing device, wherein the second viewer graphical user interface lacks user controls, wherein the definition of the second viewer graphical user interface and/or the second content element define all controls for enabling a user to interact with the second content element through the second viewer graphical user interface; and presenting the second content element within the viewer second graphical user interface, wherein execution of the client parser to perform the transmitting the second content request, the presenting the second viewer graphical user interface operation, and the presenting the second content element is responsive to reception of a selection to initiate a second networked information monitor associated with the second networked information monitor template.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the network is the internet.